How Does Rainsford Build Suspense In The Most Dangerous Game

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“The world is made up of two classes: the hunters and the huntees.”(Zaroff). In the short story The Most Dangerous Game, the author Richard Connell introduces the character Rainsford and his experience getting stranded on an island. Rainsford is a skilled and resourceful hunter whose cunning and determination are tested to their limits when he becomes the prey in a deadly game. Rainsford must navigate and survive a treacherous island while being hunted by the sadistic General Zaroff, using his wits and survival skills to outmaneuver his relentless pursuer. Connell builds suspense in the story through the setting, foreshadowing, and character conflict to show the thin line between hunter and hunted, and to explore the primal instincts and moral …show more content…

This is really an inspiration. I drink to a foeman worthy of my steel at last. "(Connell 480)". In this scene, General Zaroff is a man who hunts humans for sport. Rainsford is the latest prey for Zaroff's game. For three days, Rainsford will be hunted by Zaroff, and if he survives, he can leave the island. Otherwise, Zaroff gets to claim having killed him. This moment further builds suspense because we don't know what will happen to our protagonist and if he comes out of the hunt alive, and General Zaroff thinks that the world can be broken into two classes: the hunted and the hunters. This story is filled with lots of suspenseful moments and there are parts where they hint at what is about to happen later in the story, foreshadowing moments. The author builds suspense through the conflict between Rainsford and General Zaroff. As stated in the text, “he heard the sharp scream of pain as the pointed stakes found their mark. He leaped up from his place of concealment. Then he cowered back to his feet. Three feet from the pit, a man was standing, with an electric torch in his hand. “You’ve done well, Rainsford,” the voice of the General …show more content…

This moment helps build suspense because it convinces us to believe that Rainsford killed Zaroff. The text also reveals, “But the hope that was in Rainsford's brain when he climbed died, for he saw in the shallow valley that General Zaroff was still on his feet. But Ivan was not.”(Connell 79). In this scene, Rainsford's knife kills Ivan in his trap. This moment further builds suspense because now it's only Rainsford against the hounds and then they corner Rainsford at the edge of the cliff. Overall, the story has lots of suspense and conflict that keeps you on the edge of your seat. In conclusion, The Most Dangerous Game shows the complexity of human nature, the thin line between civilization and savagery, and the lengths to which one will go to survive. Connell uses the events of Rainsford's transformation from hunter to hunted, his encounters on the island, and the psychological battle between him and General Zaroff. This demonstrates suspense because he meticulously builds tension through eerie and foreboding settings, strategic use of foreshadowing, and intense character conflicts that keep readers on edge about Rainsford's

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